


shine on you sinking sun

by wintersoldiering (xoxogossipwolf)



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, lil bit of angst, they make my heart acheeeeeeee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14205219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxogossipwolf/pseuds/wintersoldiering
Summary: Luke feels shitty after a hard case and comes to Penelope for talks and comfort. And cocoa!





	shine on you sinking sun

**Author's Note:**

> ayeeeeeeee i still love them very much and fuck you @ criminal minds for giving me like....no garcia/luke interaction at all. and idk what this is i just wanted 2 write you know you know

It's the night following a particularly difficult case that he shows up on her doorstep. His hair is dripping from the rain and his eyes are haunted. Penelope doesn’t say anything as she steps aside, he steps in stands in her small hallway. He looks lost and her heart aches for him.

“C’mon I’ll make you some cocoa.” She tangles her fingers in his, and he looks grateful for the gesture, for warmth and human contact. “Wanna talk about it, or just my delightful company?” He sits in a chair as she busies with the milk and cocoa powder. He shakes his head in answer.

“Alright. Well I’m going to talk because silence makes me itchy but if you need the silence just tell me to hush.” She sees his tiny smile and feels triumphant. “Okay, so. I don’t know how you make your hot cocoa, probably shitty fake chocolate powder from a pouch right, because you’re a sad bachelor. Anyway, my dad taught me this way and yeah alright, this is powder but it's high quality and good, okay.  You just take as many teaspoons as you like depending on your chocolateliness preference. I prefer two usually but if I’m feeling sad or a case gets under my skin I’ll do three just because chocolate is good for the soul and heart. I’m gonna add four for you. This is a special situation.” She’s rambling, she knows but she can't seem to stop.

She glances over at him and his hands are folded on her table, thumb tapping a rhythm. He’s looking at her rapturously, like she’s the sun and he’s blinded by her. The look makes her stomach erupt into butterflies, like yeah she’s not blind she’s seen the way he’s looked at her before but this. This is something else entirely. “

You good?” She asks him as she whisks the powder and milk together in the saucepan on her stove, watching as it mixes together and bubbles gently. “Yeah. I just like it when you talk.” He shrugs, and ducks his head. Her heart aches again and she busies herself with mugs and sugar. She sets the steaming mug in front of him, placing the sugar and a spoon beside it.

“Thanks, Penelope, for everything.” Luke tells her as he wraps his hands around the mug. “Yeah, Luke. Of course. Anytime, and I really mean that.”

“It's hard. Losing victims, especially when you think you can save them. I’m not so good with compartmentalizing like the rest of the team.” He sounds bitter and the tips of his fingers are pale with how tightly he’s gripping the colorful mug and Garcia is slightly worried it’ll shatter. She gently pries his fingers out of their painful clench.

“It's never easy and you can never shrug it off, that isn't how it works. And I know it's different because I’m not there and I don’t see it but sometimes I hear it and that’s bad enough, you know? And I can picture it just fine. But. But actually being there, witnessing it? I don’t know that you’ll ever get used to it or perfect compartmentalizing it or whatever. You just have to learn to make peace, I think. Hug the people you love tight, surround yourself with love, friends, Roxy. Good things until the bad, horrible, ugliness is at least bearable.”

Luke’s eyes are brimming with tears and he doesn’t let them spill over but he clenches her fingers and he looks grateful. “And it isn’t your fault. You have to repeat that to yourself until you believe it. What happened wasn’t your fault Luke Alvez. It wasn’t. Sometimes monsters win and the only thing we can do is try again.”

Penelope cups his cheek and he leans into her hand. She strokes his soft cheek, he turns his head into her palm and lays a small kiss there. She swipes her thumb under his eye, collecting the tears before they fall. He says something softly that she doesn’t catch. “What was that?” She whispers, feeling the atmosphere change and worried that if she speaks too loudly she’ll pop the fragile bubble they’ve found themselves in.

“How did I get so lucky, to have found you?” Her breath catches in her throat. “Yeah, well. Ditto.” She says clumsily and she feels his smile from where his face is still turned into her hand. His cheek is a few degrees warmer and she feels triumphant again.

“I want to kiss you, is that alright?” She moves her hand from his cheek into his still rain damp hair, curls her fingers. “Yeah, I’d be a little offended if you didn’t. But not actually because I would totally understand and wouldn’t be weird or gross if you didn’t want to because consent and choice and-” His lips meet hers mid ramble and she feels him smile into the kiss and she hopes his heart feels as light as hers does, in that moment.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! gimme a kudos/comment on ya way out if you liked it or don't either way its cool! title from not changing pops, seeking by oscar isaac.


End file.
